CALLS FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

U. S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans pledged on 1 September to work "very intensively" to ensure that Armenia's next elections are free and fair, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. Evans added in an RFE/RL interview that the country is "headed in the right direction," citing a recently adopted set of constitutional amendments.

The Armenian government's proposed constitutional amendments, which garnered the support of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission, the European Union, and the United States, include measures aimed at curbing the powers of the executive branch. Having received parliamentary approval, the amendments are now subject to a national referendum in November.